The hills and slopes of the Monferrato are within the provinces of Asti and Alessandria, between the River Po in the north and the Ligurian Apennine Mountains in the south. According to legend, the Monferrato’s land corresponds with the land that Prince Aleramo of the Franks was able to travel on horseback without stopping, marking the territory with a brick (mun, in Piemontese) commonly used to shoe (frà) horses.

The Costigliole d’Asti castle, that dominates the town from the heights of his four towers , has something of a fairy tale look. The building is of medieval origins but has been reworked by its various rulers, including the famous Castiglione Countess.

COSTIGLIOLE D'ASTI

Costigliole d’Asti is in the heart of the Monferrato Astigiano territory, almost entirely comprised of the Asti province, with the Tanaro River flowing through it.

The zone, which borders the Langhe and is separated from the Roero by the river, is characterized by its gently rolling hills dotted with castles and historical towns.

The hills, whose average altitude is about 350 meters a.s.l., are composed of various sediments (such as clay, marl, sandstone, Neogene sand, limestone, gypsum, and tuff rock) deposited by the waters of the Adriatic sea at the beginning of the

Quaternary Period when pulling back from the large northern area of Italy, once completely underwater.

This is the land of excellence for Barbera and sparkling Moscato wines, a territory where the first traces of wine-growing reach back to the 4th ant 5th centuries B.C. when vineyards were an integral part of the landscape. The land’s winemaking vocation is further reinforced by the Monferrato’s microclimate and its hot, dry summers, cold winters, and generally dry climate.

“Strada dei Bricchetti” is already present in a XIX century map, now displayed in the Costigliole d’Asti Town Hall.